Maybe the most incredible stat of the night

[QB Bills]

The Chiefs faced third down only 5 times throughout the game. Did a quick google check and that's only happened 9 other times in the last 25 years. And the crazy thing is, they only converted one of those 5. There are individual drives that have 5 third downs on the regular.

 

Just an epic meltdown on the defensive side of the ball. Not meaning to make this another fire McDermott thread, but he got absolutely schooled yet again in the playoffs. Yes they had injuries, but not nearly enough to excuse this level of futility.

 

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/which-team-has-the-fewest-3rd-down-attempts-in-a-game

 

Edited January 22 by QB Bills
removed the 4th down stat

[dave mcbride]

1 minute ago, QB Bills said:

The Chiefs faced third down only 5 times throughout the game and did not face a 4th down. Did a quick google check and that's only happened 7 other times in the last 25 years. And the crazy thing is, they only converted one of those 5. There are individual drives that have 5 third downs on the regular.

 

Just an epic meltdown on the defensive side of the ball. Not meaning to make this another fire McDermott thread, but he got absolutely schooled yet again in the playoffs. Yes they had injuries, but not nearly enough to excuse this level of futility.

 

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/which-team-has-the-fewest-3rd-down-attempts-in-a-game

 

They faced a fourth down with 8+ minutes to go in the fourth. They punted.

[jhh9327]

Fully agree.  The first 5 offensive drives we score 24 points without the benefit of any short fields against a healthy top 3 defense that only gave up 24 points or more in an entire game twice the whole year.  Yet when the offense comes back out for drive number 6 we are behind by 3.  The D simply had to do better and that is on McDermott.  Yes, they were important injuries, but the Dolphins defense was decimated even more than ours and did a better job last week.  

[klos63]

Actually I think the injuries were a pretty good excuse. Our MLB shouldn't even be in the NFL, no team wanted him. Losing 2 great mlb, Douglass didn't look 100%, obviously missed Benford, Von not close to 100%. Injuries were significant. Rapp out was significant as Hyde and Poyer are finished. 

Edited January 22 by klos63

[MarkyMannn]

2 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

They faced a fourth down with 8+ minutes to go in the fourth. They punted.

You're right. I had to check that myself

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, jhh9327 said:

Fully agree.  The first 5 offensive drives we score 24 points without the benefit of any short fields against a healthy top 3 defense that only gave up 24 points or more in an entire game twice the whole year.  Yet when the offense comes back out for drive number 6 we are behind by 3.  The D simply had to do better and that is on McDermott.  Yes, they were important injuries, but the Dolphins defense was decimated even more than ours and did a better job last week.  

 

But it wasn't missing guys in the middle that plays right into the Chiefs strengths. It is about matchups. Their two best offensive players this year - Kelce and Pacheco - operate exactly in the area the Bills were shorn of talent. 

[QB Bills]

1 minute ago, dave mcbride said:

They faced a fourth down with 8+ minutes to go in the fourth. They punted.

You are correct. I meant a 4th down that they attempted to convert.

[Brandon]

They were horrible,  yes.  Unfortunately,  I fully expect that Beane and McDermott will overreact to it and heavily prioritize defense again this offseason,   with the same futile results.  

 

 

 

[What a Tuel]

Not nearly enough injuries? Are you kidding? I am actually impressed McDermott did what he did with what he had the last 6 weeks. This game was not going to be a defensive battle given the QB we were facing. 

 

Allen had the ball and game in his hands and I am not saying he is not good or can't do it or anything, but he botched it as bad as Bass botched the field goal. He had the opportunity and missed. That's not on the defense, they gave us the opportunity with two huge stops at the end.

[boyst]

1 minute ago, klos63 said:

Actually I think the injuries were a pretty good excuse. Our MLB shouldn't even be in the NFL, no team wanted him. Losing 2 great mlb, Douglass didn't look 100%, obviously missed Benford, Von not close to 100%. Injuries were significant. 

Then why did we wait to have Neal in the game? Excuses were good until we tried too late to find the answer. ... And guess what? It worked. Neal 1 on 1 at the line with Kelce.

 

In pregame they mentioned it with Kelce being upset early in the season and screaming at Reid on the sideline. Kelce needs a clean release for his timing and for his ability to scheme himself open based on the defense. It's clear Kelce doesn't adapt well when a wrench is thrown at him. At the earliest signs we should have thrown the wrench: Neal.

 

Sure the Chiefs would have probably run for a little more but so what? Running wasn't winning the game for them. 

[jhh9327]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

But it wasn't missing guys in the middle that plays right into the Chiefs strengths. It is about matchups. Their two best offensive players this year - Kelce and Pacheco - operate exactly in the area the Bills were shorn of talent. 

Except that isn't true.  The Dolphins lost 3 linebackers for the season in week 18 against us.   The Dolphins were truly decimated on D outside of Ramsay.   

[klos63]

3 minutes ago, Brandon said:

They were horrible,  yes.  Unfortunately,  I fully expect that Beane and McDermott will overreact to it and heavily prioritize defense again this offseason,   with the same futile results.  

 

 

 

What should they prioritize? 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Reid is better than McDermott

There were no injuries on the DL and they gutted us in the run game. 

How do you draft a LB in the third round and he's not able to play? Klein was terrible all game long and yet a young athletic LB only rarely saw the field. 

 

Hate McDermott. He's ruined the best years of Allen. 

[clayboy54]

Running with 3rd-string linebackers and without any depth left at safety or corner to use as the additional big-nickel, what did you expect. The Bills were simply decimated in the back seven. No coaching can fix that. And that's a ton of pressure to put on a front four.

 

You had to know that going in. But yeah... fire the coach.

[Jerome007]

What is puzzling to me, is that the LBs and secondary were banged up bad, and thus we could expect a Kelce and passing fest from KC. Instead, the healthy DLine, and backup LBs that are good against the run, got destroyed on the ground. The Bills run offense also destroyed KC's defense but they had more stops.

 

I think KC had 7 plays of 20+ yards and the Bills.... ZERO. These dropped passes of course matter but still, that was the difference. Even if the Bills outgained KC on the  ground, and had lots of 7-8 yards gainers, they also had 0 yarders, while KC seem to run at will, even at the very end when  it was obvious they would.

 

I just can't understand why the Bills run defense was again awful as in the recent past. Is it the schemes or the players?

[Brandon]

Just now, klos63 said:

What should they prioritize? 

 

Wide receiver.  The same thing they should have the last two offseasons.  

 

 

[cgg716]

3 minutes ago, klos63 said:

What should they prioritize? 

Actual Wrs, and a HC to develop them

[Buffalo Boy]

10 minutes ago, QB Bills said:

Yes they had injuries, but not nearly enough to excuse this level of futility.

   They went in Defensively, resigned to the fact they couldn’t compete. Zero energy, zero want to….. just defeated.

From the Defensive Master himself? He will never win in a big game where the other coach is good to great. 
Josh is being wasted 

 

[86poker]

Can't wait for the all-22 footage to come out for this game. 

 

I don't think we chipped Kelce with a DE off the LOS at all tonight(we did in the regular season game, but not in this game).  We didn't generate a pass rush, why not at the very least disrupt the timing of there #1 target (especially in the redzone)

[Orlando Buffalo]

7 minutes ago, boyst said:

Then why did we wait to have Neal in the game? Excuses were good until we tried too late to find the answer. ... And guess what? It worked. Neal 1 on 1 at the line with Kelce.

 

In pregame they mentioned it with Kelce being upset early in the season and screaming at Reid on the sideline. Kelce needs a clean release for his timing and for his ability to scheme himself open based on the defense. It's clear Kelce doesn't adapt well when a wrench is thrown at him. At the earliest signs we should have thrown the wrench: Neal.

 

Sure the Chiefs would have probably run for a little more but so what? Running wasn't winning the game for them. 

I stated early in game when it was clear that Klein is not athletic enough to do what was needed that we should needed a better athlete on the field, I suggested Elam but Neal is a great athlete also. I am not sure if we win anyways but the current guy was not getting it done.